“One fried hay plate and two oat drinks, please,” Diamond Tiara asked the waiter and she refused with her head when Spike tried to pay for them.

“Umh Rule 17 of the Noble Dragon Code says I cannot accept any kind of bribe or payment, even food,” he explained.

“Well, what about a friend sharing her food? Does the Code says you should reject or there´s actually a rule that orders you to accept it?” she asked.

Spike playing with his fingers before admitting. “Rule 47.”

“All settled then.”

Diamond Tiara silently waited for the drinks while Spike kept laying with his fingers, wondering why was she talking to him to begin with. He knew Diamond was a pretty know bully that got away most of the time so, why was she being nice to him.

“Diamond Tiara?”

“Yes?”

“Why do you want from me?”

Diamond blinked a few times, looking confused. “I don´t want anything from you. I just saw you crying under that tree and that nopony was lending a hoof to help you so...” she casually explained and received the drinks the waiter was bringing,

“So, you don't want anything, at all?”

Diamond Tiara shook her head and took a sip of her drink.

Spike sighed relieved and took a bite of the fried hay,

“So...do you want to tell why were you crying?”

Spike sighed once again and began to talk. “Here´s the thing...”

Explained everything to her. Not just the part about he being in danger of being expelled from the country but he actually started since his journey to the Crystal Empire. For some reason, he felt comfortable talking to Diamond Tiara. She didn´t interrupt him or ask more than the occasional question. She just listened and right now, that was exactly what Spike needed.

When he finished, Spike sighed a final time and leaned back on his seat, taking a deep sip from his drink.

Diamond however was concentrating, tapping her chin.

“Spike, can I see the Noble Dragon Code?” she asked.

“Uh sure...” he said and punched his chest a little to get enough strength to blurp the golden scroll.

“Thanks,” Diamond said and pulled a pair of glasses to begin reading.

Spike went back to his drink. He thought Diamond was wasting her time. Twilight had already revised that scroll, three times, and highlighted all the important rules. Too bad the ones about breaking the Code were in a separate one. She also skipped all the rules that dealt with courted a lady arguing that Spike was “too young for this stuff”. No wonder she missed the part about him not being able to make a mistake or else he will brand his wife for life.

“From what I understand, a mark will show who´s going to become your wife,” she said.

“Yeah and mistaking a burn mark for that it was caused that whole jousting problem. It doesn't matter now anyways, I´ll probably get expelled before I discover who´s my one and true wife.”

“Not necessarily,” she said and when he looked confused, she pointed at one rule in the scroll and told him to read.

“Rule 195, point b. An Escorted Lady is a mare than the Noble Dragon is bound to protect until the Lady or her legal protector consider she is no longer in need of his service or she becomes the Noble Dragon one and true wife due to the appearance of the bonding mark,” he read out loud.

Spike scratched his head, not really getting the point. Diamond couldn't help but roll her eyes before explaining.

“According to this scroll, a Escorted Lady is pretty much the same as a wife, expect you´re not forced to marry her. You will only guard her for a while and I bet Shining Armor wouldn´t  expell you if you´re protecting simepony.”

“You´re right! I only need to find one of these Scorched Ladies! I should ask Twilight if she´s willing...”

“She won´t do.”

“Uh?” Spike asked.

“Think about it. Twilight will never tell you to stop serving her but the scroll says her legal protector can. And who is Twilight's protector?”

“Her...parents?”

“Princess Celestia and she already has the obligation to expel you after what you did last year,” Diamond explained.

“You´re right. Then I have to ask one of my friends...”

“Good idea. That Fluttershy was already willing, wasn´t she?” Diamond asked, taking another sip of hay.

Spike remembered the incident with Fluttershy that morning. How she shaking and avoiding his gaze and how he almsot branded her. She was being just kind, sacrificing to help him. But a little bit of Spike wondered if she was actually honest, if she actually did have feelings for him.

“No. I can´t ask them. I can´t risk them being forced to marry me,” he said.

“In that case you should go with somepony who has no attachments to you. Somepony in town who´s willing to help you, no strings attached?” she asked, casually playing with her drink.

“Like who?”

Diamond Tiara sighed, frustrated and pointed at her.

“You? Why would you want to be my Scorched Lady?”

“First of all is Escorted. And second, I just wanted to be nice and help our noble guardian. My dad taught me that we must be respectful to our public servants. And besides, I´ll hate to see you leave town,” she said and moved her hoof over the table, approaching him.

Spike hid his claw under his arms and she retreated her arm.

“Right. We can´t risk that. But still, what do you think of my offer, Spike?”

Spike pondered about the issue, his claws still tucked under his arms.

****

Fluttershy knocked on the Golden Oaks library door but got no response. She insisted a little harder but got no answer again. She then pounded the door as hard as she could but she barely managed to shook the knocker. Taking a deep breath, she tried to knock once more when the door was opened by a smiling Mrs. Agate.

“Let go of me, Shining Armor!”

“Not until you come back to your sense, Twilight!”

“Umh am I interrupting something?” Fluttershy softly asked, looking at the tow siblings wrestling in the floor.

“Fluttershy! Have you seen Spike?” Twilight asked.

“Actually, I came here to tell you about him. I ran into Spike early today and...I kinda...asked him to be his wife.”

“YOU WHAT?” Twilight asked, her face just inches from Fluttershy´s.

The shy pegasus trembled, awaiting the furious blow of magic, wondering if she was going to be transformed into a plant or teleported straight into the jaws of a furious hydra.

“That...is...wonderful!” Twilight exclaimed, hugging Fluttershy.

“Uh you aren´t made with me?” Fluttershy asked.

“Mad? Why would I be mad at you?”

“Well, you got a little jealous when Applejack was engaged to Spike.”

“Oh, I wasn't jealous. That´s crazy. I was just a tiny bit concerned for Spike. Also, she was too old for him,” Twilight explained, her eye twitching.

“Umh I´m actually two years older than her,” Fluttershy meekly said but Twilight didn't listened.

“Now Spike cannot be expelled! Ha!” Twilight said, pointing a hoof at her brother.

Shining put her hoof down and looked at Fluttershy. “He said  no, right?”

Fluttershy silently nodded.

“What? Why would he say no?” Twilight asked.

“He said I was being too kind with him and that it was wrong for him to accept,” Fluttershy explained in a whisper.

The room went silent for a moment. Twilight then levitated her wedding gown back to her head.

“Umh Twilight?”

“Spike! You´re back!” Twilight smiled disappeared when she recognized the filly that walked in with Spike. She pointed at Diamond Tiara, asking with no word what she was doing there but Diamond ignored her and walked next to Shining Armor.

“Greetings, Prince Shining Armor,” she said, bowing to him.

Shining looked at her sister and friend, who looked very confused.

“My name is Diamond Tiara and on this day, I declare Spike the Dragon to be my Escorting Companion.”

“Your escorting what?” Twilight asked.

“Everything is explained in this scroll. Items d to h of Rule 197,” she said, indicating Spike to handle the scroll to Shining.

He levitated the scroll and study it. He then looked at Spike who nodded.

“Mrs. Agate, take your things. We´re going back to the Empire.”

“Wait, Shining! What´s going on?” Twilight asked.

“I had to return to the Crystal Empire, I still had obligations there,” he said.

“But what about Spike?”

“I'll be back in a couple of days. In the meantime, Spike is obliged to never leave the side of this filly here. Understood?”

Spike stood straight and saluted. Shining smiled and walked out, followed by Mrs. Agate who waved at Twilight and her friends. Twilight and Fluttershy looked at Diamond who was accommodating her mane and to Spike who was sheepishly grinning.

“By the way, I´m going camping this weekend...”

****

The weekend finally came and Applejack went to Rarity´s house to pick up Sweetie Belle. She cheerfully knocked at the Boutique´s door and a very grumpy unicorn received her.

“Howdy Rarity!”

“Oh, it is you. Sweetie Belle, come down! I´ll invite you in but...” Rarity said and almost slammed the door shut but Applejack blocked the door.

“Now, that´s ´bout it! Yah´ve been giving me tah cold shoulder the entire week and ah wanna know why!”

“I have no idea whatever you´re talking about,” Rarity said.

Applejack simply glared at her, refusing to move her gaze. Rarity finally gave up,

“Alright, it´s true. But that´s because I was terribly jealous.”

“Yah were jealous of Spike?”

“What? Oh no no, Spikey-Wikey is an adorable treat  but I´m not interested in him in that way, at all. I was more jealous of you.”

“Of me?”

“Yes, but not in that way, you silly filly,” Rarity said, poking at her friend´s nuzzle. “I was just mad that you got to get married before me.”

Rarity played a little with her mane, waiting for Applejack´s reaction. The farmer pony bursted in laughs, rolling in the ground.

“I fail to see why this is a laughing matter.”

“Oh, yah´re so silly, Rarity!”

“Well, I suppose one can see me as being a little superficial.”

“Ah didn't say superficial, ah said silly! That´s why yah been so meanie? That little thing?” Applejack asked.

“It´s not a little thing, it´s a serious business for me,” Rarity said and Applejack laughed harder. “Applejack!”

“Ah heard yah, ah heard yah. But Rarity, that´s just silly. That whole circus wasn't even a real wedding, and ah didn't wanna marry Spike to begin with.”

“It´s a good point. But still Applejack, how can you call it a little thing? Haven´t you dreamed about the perfect wedding with the perfect groom? Oh my stars, that´s has been my dream since before I got my Cutie Mark.”

“Having Rainbow Dash joust fer yah heart was your dream?”

“Well, not precisely her...” Rarity said, blushing a little and Applejack snickered.

“Ah Rares, yah always worry too much...” Applejack said and she put a hoof on her shoulder. “Ah´m sure yah´ll have your perfect wedding. Yah just need to go and look for it.”

“Always the practical one. You don´t believe that your prince in shining armor will eventually come?” Rarity asked,

“Hay, no! That kind of frilly stuff ain´t mah thing. No offenses.”

“Well, I do believe in true love and I´m sure someday I´ll find him. Oh Sweetie Belle, how long have you been standing here?” Rarity asked at the little filly who was standing with her luggage, looking at them. “Nevermind. Applejack is here to take you. Have fun at the mountains!”

“Okay Rarity...”

Rarity waved them away. Sweetie walked with head low and then took a glance at Applejack.

“Something´s wrong, sugarcube?”

“No, no. It´s nothing.”

******

Diamond Tiara was grooming her mane, making sure it was perfect. Silver Spoon was sitting beside her, struggling to say some words. Diamond sighed exhausted and asked her:

“What´s the problem, Silver Spoony?”

“I still don't get what you´re trying to do, DT.”

“What´s so hard to understand? Haven't you seen me the last couple days, how the entire town couldn´t keep their eyes off of me?”

“Yes, everypony looked at you being served by Spike. But that seems wrong somehow.”

“Why? There´s nothing better than a devoted servant,” Diamond said, tending to her hooves now.

Featherweight entered the room, struggling to lift a very heavy backpack. He finally collapsed next to Diamond who gently patted his head.

“But Spike is not like the boys at school. He´s Twilight´s assistant and she is close friends with Princess Celestia. What if she hears what you have been doing? What if Twilight tells her?” Silver Spoon asked.

“The Princess will hear nothing about this and Twilight won't tell her anything. She needs me to keep her little dragon around. I´m the only thing keeping Spike in town which means that the entire town has to keep content or else...”

“You would actually send him away?”

“I don't want to but once the Prince returns...let´s just say I´ve a contingency plan,” Diamond Tiara said.

“And what about that mark business? What if you get branded?”

“Well, that wouldn't be so terrible, right? Being married to a Noble Dragon. That sounds...kind of nice.” Diamond Tiara got up and moved to the stairs. “Bring those bags downstairs, Featherweight”

The pegasus colt sighed and flapped his wings the best he could to move the bag.

******

Twilight watched Spike get his luggage ready, struggling to say some words.

“Spike, are you sure about this?” she finally asked,

“Twilight, you already checked the backpack. Four times,” he responded.

“Not that. It´s about this Diamond Tiara. Are you sure she isn´t just using you? She has been bossing you around this past couple days.”

“She hasn't been bossing me around. I´m her Scorching Guardian, I´ve to protect her. And besides, she isn´t that bad once you get to know her. She is actually quite nice. And the fact that she agreed to buy me some time, for no reason, it´s so nice. KInd of like how Trixie comes once a week to help with the chores,” he said, waving at the unicorn in the kitchen doing the dishes.

“Actually I would prefer if she stops doing that,” Twilight said.

“Twilight, Diamond Tiara is doing me a favor. Can I just enjoy these few days before Shining armor comes back?”

Twilight looked at Spike´s pleading eyes and eventually gave in, giving him a tight hug.

“Don't you worry, Twilight Sparkle. The Great and Helpful Trixie got your kitchen as clean as new and she also made cookies!”

“Trixie! I already forgive you! Get out of my house!!”

Just then, somepony knocked at the door.

“That must be Applejack!” Spike said and he rushed at door,

“Howdy Spike! Ready tah go?”

“All set! Hi Sweetie Belle!”

“Applejack, please take care of him.”

“Don't worry, Twi! Ah brought Big Mac with me this time. With five excited fillies and one dragon, ah´m going to need some extra help!” Applejack said.

“I didn't meant that...”

Applejack patter her friend in the shoulder. “Ah know what yah meant. Don´t worry.”

Twilight looked with sad eyes as Spike walked down the road with the other two ponies. Trixie moved next to her and levitated a cookie. Twilight accepted it and took a bite, admitting it was quite good.

****

Applejack led Sweetie and Spike to the exit of town where Big Mac was already waiting with a cart and a group  of fillies.

“Everypony here?” Applejack asked.

“I guess so...” Scootaloo retorted with her arms crossed, glaring at Diamond Tiara.

Apple Bloom looked a little hurt and Babs Seed just avoided looking at Spike.

“Well then, everypony hop in!” Applejack ordered.

Spike tried to lift Diamond´s Tiara luggage but Big Mac saved him the embarrassment by simply picking it up with his mouth.

Spike jumped in the cart and he turned over to see Diamond Tiara waiting. He then extend his claw, causing the other fillies to hold their breath. Diamond accepted the claw and hop in. When he retired it, there was still no mark. Diamond smiled at Spike who blushed a little while Apple Bloom looked at a hurt Babs, Sweetie Belle seemed worried and Scootaloo just grumbled some more.

“All settle then, hee-yah big brother!”

“Eeeeyup!”

And off they went to the rainbow waterfalls.